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Over the weekend, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey reached a milestone when it joined the rest of the Lord of the Rings trilogy in earning $300 million in domestic box office — and neared ever closer to $1 billion worldwide in the process. Obviously, the first of director Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's novel has done well financially, but audiences and critics alike were polarized by the results of the movie, with the possible exception of the movie's dazzling visual effects, which were nominated for an Academy Award.
Likely in anticipation of this Sunday's Oscar telecast, WETA Digital has released a visual effects reel revealing the work that went into the movie. Highlights from the video include Ian McKellen basically act alone in a green room as Gandalf and the first meeting between Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and Gollum (Andy Serkis, in his motion-capture outfit) prior to its digital transformation.
watch the video >> Posted 02.19.13 by Ryan -
This weekend sees the opening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which is great news for Lord of the Rings who will get to see plenty returning characters such as the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) aids a young Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and an assembly of dwarves in their quest to unseat the dragon Smaug from the treasure he's guarding. It's only the first of a three-part adaptation, which means there will be plenty more Gandalf to go around for the next few years, even if he will still be one appearance behind another literary-turned-cinematic wizard, Harry Potter's Dumbledore.
Speaking of Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (first played by the late Richard Harris and then by Michael Gambon), this week's arrival of Gandalf got us thinking about our two favorite, long-bearded wizards and which of the two would survive the cybernetic cage that is our Character Cage Match! No doubt, fans of either J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling may already have their minds made up, but we make a case for both and only you can decide which wizard will leave victorious!
check out the characters' strengths and weaknesses before voting >> Posted 12.14.12 by Ryan -
Extreme fandom manifests itself in many ways: fan fiction, fan films, and, in worst case scenarios, stalking. And, despite the amount of fame one achieves, it's hard for anyone to not "geek out" on their favorite stuff. Take Stephen Colbert of ComedyCentral's The Colbert Report who managed to devote an entire week to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and interviewed members of the cast and director Peter Jackson. While doing celebrity interviews isn't exactly new, Colbert is a notorious fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, with knowledge of Tolkien bordering on the academic since he speaks elvish. Colbert was even invited to the New Zealand set of The Hobbit while the movie was in production.
"He’s such an expert on Tolkien, he really is, he can quote it at length," Ian McKellen told THR about Colbert. That expertise was on display when Jackson appeared for his interview. While discussing The Hobbit's recent transformation into a trilogy, the director asked Colbert to explain what Tolkien's intent was for the appendices at the end of the Return of the King novel, which Jackson is using as further source material.
watch the interview >> Posted 12.10.12 by Ryan -
Typical hobbit.
We're still a little dizzy from the footage revealed in last month's second full-length trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (and the subsequent extra scenes), yet, as the promotional campaign shifts to the small screen, more snippets of footage have arrived in the movie's latest TV spot.
Based on author J.R.R. Tolkien's first trip to Middle-Earth, The Hobbit is a more whimsical tale than the Lord of the Rings trilogy, as evidenced in the TV spot, which sees Gandalf (Ian McKellen) trying to convince Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) to leave the comforts of his beloved Shire, interspersed with footage of Bilbo battling trolls and Gollum (Andy Serkis). As McKellen revealed to Coming Soon during a set visit, the lighter tone should be reflected in the final product.
trailers from every earthSaturdays 10:00a ET / 7:00a PT
watch the TV spot and read more from mckellen, freeman and jackson on the adaptation >> Posted 10.26.12 by Ryan -
More Hobbit footage already? We'll take it!
No doubt fans have already repeatedly devoured the new footage revealed in the second trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, but there's already more that has arrived online. The Warner Bros.' official website for The Hobbit offers users a chance to create their own ending to the latest trailer, with five different moments to choose from for the trailer's end. One of those options was used by the studio already, the one where the giant troll lands on top of the dwarves. The other endings include an exchange between Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and Gollum (Andy Serkis); Gandalf (Ian McKellen) revealing to Bilbo that bet he had with the dwarves; Bilbo learning an unsatisfying truth about his sword; and Bilbo examining his contract to join the company of dwarves to attempt to "burgle" the treasure that's being protected by the dragon Smaug. Like the troll fall, the endings all reveal the humorous side of the movie, and, luckily, Bleeding Cool has compiled them all into one video so you don't have to watch the trailer four different times (not that you wouldn't want to).
unexpected trailers Saturdays 10:00a ET / 7:00a PT
watch the new footage >> Posted 09.22.12 by Ryan -
Return to Middle-earth with new still images from The Hobbit
If you're a fan of high fantasy, then you're probably already drinking a pint of Gaffer's ale and singing "The Road Goes Ever On" in celebration of Tolkien Week along with the thousands of other J.R.R. Tolkien fans around the world — that is, assuming you haven't been stuck in the Mines of Moria since 1978, the year the American Tolkien Society first proclaimed Tolkien Week and set Sept. 22nd as Hobbit Day. With the first part of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings prequels opening in less than three months, Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema and MGM decided to join in on the fun by releasing a huge batch of new still images from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, with a new trailer to follow later today. Pour yourself another pint and enjoy the new still images with us as we reminisce about seven of the things that we have been missing about Middle-Earth and are looking forward to when Tolkien's creations return to the big screen this winter.
see the new images >> Posted 09.19.12 by BrentJS -
It's been over a month since director Peter Jackson released the seventh production video from the set of his two-part prequel, The Hobbit, which was the last footage available to fans until Jackson revealed some edited footage to those lucky enough to get inside Hall H during Warner Bros.' Comic-Con presentation. Luckily, Jackson has released an eighth video, which shows snippets of what was shown that day.
Starting at Comic-Con, Jackson introduces a behind-the-scenes look at the final week of shooting, which concentrated mostly on the second part, There and Back Again. Jackson is quick to point out that he can't reveal much from the second movie, but there's plenty for fans to enjoy, including Cate Blanchett on the set as Galadriel acting alongside Ian McKellen as Gandalf; Orlando Bloom as Legolas being directed by second unit director Andy Serkis (who also plays Gollum); plus sections devoted to new cast members Sylvester McCoy (who plays the wizard Radagast) and Lee Pace, who is seen preparing to play the Elven King Thranduil.
watch the video >> Posted 07.24.12 by Ryan -
In lieu of another trailer or releasing any new footage, director Peter Jackson has done an excellent job of keeping fans engaged with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first part of Jackson's two-part prequel for The Lord of the Rings, with production videos from the New Zealand set (the seventh of which was released early last month). Luckily, Entertainment Weekly has released several new photos (via The Playlist), as the movie is featured on its most recent magazine cover.
While the photos aren't exactly revelatory, they'll have to do until Jackson and Warner Bros. release something new (likely at Comic-Con), but they do offer new looks at Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Richard Armitage as dwarf leader Thorin Oakenshield, Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Andy Serkis as Gollum (underneath the layers of animation), and several of the dwarves in barrels (Graham McTavish as Dwalin, Adam Brown as Ori, Ken Stott as Balin, James Nesbitt as Bofur, Mark Hadlow as Dori and Jed Brophy as Nori). There's also a few looks at Ian McKellen as Gandalf, who promised EW that fans will be pleased with the two-part epic.
check out the photos >> Posted 07.03.12 by Ryan -
Fans haven't seen any more official footage from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first chapter of the two-part prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, since the first trailer arrived at the end of last year. However, director-producer-co-writer Peter Jackson has been good about releasing production video on his Facebook page.
Starting where the fifth production video left off, the latest peek into Jackson's The Hobbit continues to show beautiful shots of the New Zealand landscape used for the movie's sets, with commentary from some of the dwarves in the cast — Bifur (William Kircher), Kili (Aidan Turner), Fili (Dean O'Gorman), Ori (Adam Brown), Nori (Jed Brophy), and Dori (Mark Hadlow). The video also has Martin Freeman, dressed as from Bilbo Baggins, and Andy Serkis in his capacity as second unit director. (Serkis also returns as Gollum (in motion-capture) in the movie.)
watch the video >> Posted 03.01.12 by Ryan -
Following hot on the furry little heels of the release of the first poster and trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first chapter of the two-part prequel to The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) trilogy — and just in time for the holidays — co-writer, producer and director Peter Jackson has delivered yet another "present" for the fans: a new video blog offering a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie.
The fifth such production video blog Jackson has released to date, the latest one focuses on "the logistics of location shooting." As boring as that may sound to some — and we do see a lot of loading and unloading of vehicles and equipment — the 12-minute video also contains beautiful shots of New Zealand and "Hobbiton" and tons of footage of cast members on the set in full costume, from original LOTR actors like Sir Ian McKellen as the wizard Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, to Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, the central character of The Hobbit, and several (if not all) of the actors who play the company of dwarves (creator J.R.R. Tolkien's spelling) who hire Bilbo to "burgle" for them from the mighty dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch).
watch the production video >> Posted 12.26.11 by BrentJS